Steering gear for duplex tractors



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 8 1926.

S. B. WINN STEERING GEARZ FOR DUPLEX TRACTORS Filed Oct. 30 1924 "1,5ssg'395 June 8 1926.` S. B. WlNN STEERING GEAR FOR DUPLEX TRAcToRs Filed om'. 5o, 2 sheets-'sheet 2 Snom/nto@ 'Patented June' 184, 1,926.

UNITED STA'IE SIDNEY B. WINN, OF LAPEER, MICHIGAN.

STEERING GEAR FOR :DUPLEX T13/ACTORS.

Application filed October 30, 1924. Serial No. 746,745.

This invention relates to a steering gear for vehicles and has special reference to a reversible steering gear that may be advantageously used in connection with tractors, industrial or other type of motor driven vehicles, which are very often backed or driven rearwardly. To obviate the necessity of a driver looking backwards from a drivers seat facing forward I provide a vehicle with confronting seats each of which may be occupied by a driver. Between the seats is the reversible steering gear arranged to be easily operated by, a driver on either seat. Such an arrangement of seats and steering gear may be advantageously used in connection with duplex tractors or any vehiele'having ai double power plant or two or more individual power' units.

The steering gear also includes means whereby the steering mechanism may be locked and associated with the steering-gear Ais a means of controlling the use ofthe power plant or unit, whether the same be an internal combustion engine, electric motor or other type of power.

My invention will be hereinafter described and then claimed and reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein D Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a steering column assembly, partly in elevation and partly broken away showing steering gears in position for driving in one direction;

Fig. 2 is a lan of the central portion or hub of a steering wheel;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a dplex tractor or vehicle provided witha steering gear;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view @if the steering wheel showing a control lever in position for driving in one direction;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the control lever, in position for reverse driving, and A Fig. 6 isa vertical sectional view of .the steering gears shifted for reverse drive.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes a gear casing having a detachable cover 2provided with a socket 3 for a tubular stationary steering column 4.- Loosely mounted on the upper end of the column is the hub or spider portion 5 of a steering.

wheel 6, said wheel -hub being keyed or otherwise fixed, as at 7, to a hollow shaft 8 extending through the column 4 into the casing l.

On the lower end of the hollow shaft 8 is slidably keyed a compound gear wheel 9 provided with a collar or head 1() to which is loosely connected a coupling member 11 having a spring abutment 12 for an expansion spring 13 mounted in the bottom portion of the casing4 1. The .expansive force of the spring 13 supports the vcompound gear 9 normally elevated so that the large gear portion of the compound wheel may mesh with a compound steering gear 14 keyed or otherwise fixed on a crank shaft 15, journaled in bearings 16, carried by the casing 1 and its cover 2. The crank shaft 15 extends from the bottom of thecasing 1 and is provided with a crank 17 adapted to be connected to the steering gear Vof a vehicle axle, las will hereinafter appear.

lotatable on a lower wall of a casing 1 is an intermediate gear 18 constantly meshing with thecompound steering gear 14 and adapted to be engaged by the compound sliding gear 9, when said gear is lowered or depressed'to its fullest extent for reverse steering; it being obvious that'the intermediate gear 18 permits of the steering shaft 15 being turned in a reverse direction when the sliding gear 9 meshes with the intermediate gear, compared to the steering direction attained bythe compound gears 9 and 14 meshing with each other. j

The upper end of the hollow shaft 8 is provided with a head or peripheral flange 19 and rotatable about the upper end of the hollow shaft, on the wheel hub 5, and under the hollow head 19, is the hub or sleeve portion 2O of a housing 21 substantially rectangular in cross section with two of its opposed walls cut away to provide shoulders 22 and 23 and its other opposed walls serving as bearings and locking lugs 24. Mounted in the bearing walls of the housing 21 are pintles 25 for the yoke or bifurcated end 26 of a lever 27, sa'id lever being swingable from one side of the housing te the opposite side, it being shown in Fig. 4 as resting in the horizontal position on the shoulder 22 of the housing, and in Fig. 5 as having been swung to the opposite side of the housing to rest on the shoulder 23.

Pivotally mounted in the yoke or bifurcated end 26 of the lever 27, by a pin 28 is the upper end of a link 29 which extends downwardly in the housing 21 and is pivotally connected, as at 30, to the upper end of a rod 3l extending through the hollow shaft through hcttom w'L d rod having a power controlV on lower end adapted to he articulated with the controller of a power plant oli vehicle. The spring abutment l2 or the coupling memher li is attached to the rod 3l a pin 33 or other means to permit of the rod 3l being used as a means ot shitting the slide gear 9.. rlhis shitting is accomplished hy simply. swinging the lever 27 over the housing 21 from one side thereot to the other and such adjustment is maintained by locking, the pin 28 being oir" center, as h est shown in Figs. e and 5. ln either position orA the lever the shoulders-22 and 23 serve as ahutments and limit the expansive actign oi the Vspring i3, while the off-set concu- 'tion of the pin 28 prevents accidental shifting of the sliding gear 9, 'hy 'the spring 13, when inl either steering position, as shown Figs. 5 and-6.

inereis an intermediate position for the Asliding gear 9 so that said gear may mesh the compound gear le and the intermediate gear i8. ln such positionthe steergear and controller crank isheid against actuation and may he locked in such position hy placing the lever 26 coaxial of the rod 3l and attaching it to the locking lugs 24 hy alook shackle or other securing means, `the lever 27 having an opening 34 adapted to aline with the openings or apertures of 'the ears 24; 'and thus permit or" a lock shackle heing placed vin such openings to lock the lever in an inactive vertical position.

Considering my steering gear. in connection with a vehicle, "li-have outlined in 3, a vehicle having steering axle wheels 35 and driven wheels 36. The wheels 36 may he driven from one or more power plants 37 on the ends oi the vehicle chassis 38 or h v motors or other power units at the wheels 35 and 36. @n the vehicle chassis 38 are confronting drivers seats 39 and 40 and the seat 40 may he considered as facing lorward and the seat 39 rearward. The steering mechanism is supported hy or from the chassis, between said seats, and the steering crank l? is connected by a reach rod or drag .link 41 to a conventional form of steering parts 42 associated with a front axle assemhly of the vehicle, rlhe crank 32 may he connected bylinkage 42 to either or all power plants so-that said power plants may he controlled by. the lever 27. For instance, movement of the lever 27, when in a horizontal position at either'side of the steering wheel, will'fcontrol'the' application of power and such control oi' ,power isnot interfered with hy' swingingthe vlever overhead from one side of ,the housing 21 to the opposite side, the. linkage d2 permitting of such movement.

considering' lagig; 3,' iiwiu be noted that the driver maysitnnthe'seat 40,'Y facing the front assemhlv and c 'alato the teering wheel 5 power pmior plants hy e right hand manipulating the lever 27. ordinary conditions, il' the steering wheel c is turned in a clockwise direction 'the transmission gears at the hase of the steering column will turn the axle whe/els. to the right, and in orderthat the driver may occupy the seat 39 and turn the steering wheel 6 in the usual direction to accomplish'right steering, the shiitahle gear oi the" transmission gears is changed hy the lever 27 so that there will he reverse steering action causing the axle 'wheels to he turned to the leilt hy a counter clockwise rotation or? the steering wheel 6. This is accomplished hy merely shifting the lever 2T yto 'the opposite side of the steering wheel 6 where it will he convenient 'for right hand manipulation. i "l driven rearwardly the driver may swing 'the lever 27 to the opposite side ci? the steering wheel 6, occupying theseat 39 and still use the right hand to Vmanipulate the lever,

Swinging the lever has not only placed it in l position `for convenient right hand use, hut has changed the@ steering gears so that reverse steering may he accomplished hy turning the steering wheel 6 in the usual direction. Since lthe lever 27 may he usedto control the application oi?l power said lever serves as a throttle and may he locked -in a` conspicuous inactive position to prevent the vehicle from being used hy unauthorized perq sons.

it is noted that the casing l serves as a luhricant well and may he conveniently attached to the 'floor or chassis ci a vehicle hodv.

.ii tne vehicle is he l. ln a steering gear mechanism wherein s turning of a steering wheel in a clockwise direction turns steering wheels to the right;

means for changing the turning ot the steer- 1 alole gear normally in a definedrelation to the other gears, and means coaXially of said shiftable gear adapted for shifting' said gear, said last mentioned means being operatable through said shiftable gear and against the action of the first mentioned means.

3. A steering gear mechanismy forv the-l sus ' mission gears.

'4. A steering gear mechanism for the steering wheels of a vehiclehaving a power plant, said mechanism comp-rising a steering column, transmission gears at the base'of said column, adapted for steering said steering wheels, one of said transmission gears being shiftable to reverse the action of said transmission gears relative to said steering wheels, and a lever at the upper end of said steering column by which thevshiftable gear of said transmission gears may be shifted and said power plant controlled. Y

5. The combination with a steering gear mechanism and column having a steering wheel, of means reciprocable of said steering column for reversing the steering action of the steering gear mechanism, and a portion of said means being rotatable for power control purposes.

6. The combination called for in claim .5,`

wherein said means includes a rod witha lever on the upper end thereof.

7. In a steering column assembly, a com-y pound steering gear, an intermediate gear meshing with said compound ear, a wheel equipped hollow steering sha t, a slidable gear on said shaft, adapted to mesh with either the compound gear or the intermediate gear or both, and means extending through said hollow shaft adapted for sliding said slidable gear.

8. A steering column assembly as called for in claim 7, wherein said means includes a rod articulated with the sliding gear, and a lever adapted for shifting'said rod.

9. A steering column assembly including gears by which a vehicle may be steered in a desired direction, one of said gears being l shiftable to eil'ect reverse steering, a rod adapted for shifting' the gear, and a lever swingable in a vertical plane for operating said rod.

10. A steering column assembly as called for in claim 9,- wherein said lever is pivoted relative to said column and when coaxial of said rod is adapted to holdxsaid gear in a neutral position preventing steering.

11. A steering column assembly including gears by which a vehicle may be steered in a desired direction, one of said gears being shiftable to eifect reverse steering, and a rod adapted by reciprocation to shift said gear and by rotation adapted to control a source of power. 4

12., A steering column assembly as called `for iii claim 11, and means associated with said rod adapted to hold said rod in a shifted position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix' my signature.

SIDNEY B. WINN. 

